Ellenville man gets three years in prison for assaulting police officer with sword

ELLENVILLE >> An Ellenville man has been sentenced in Ulster County Court to three years in prison and two years of post-release supervision for assaulting a police officer last May, according to the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office.

Christopher Miles, 27, was sentenced Monday by Ulster County Judge Donald A. Williams. Miles was indicted by an Ulster County grand jury on Dec. 17 in connection with the May 13, 2013, incident in which he engaged in a violent struggle with Ellenville police Sgt. Jeffrey Van Asselt. Van Asselt had responded to a call for a domestic disturbance and found Miles in his girlfriend’s apartment, holding a sword and bleeding from his foot, authorities said.

When Van Asselt moved Miles’ girlfriend and her two children to safety in an adjacent bedroom, Miles attacked the officer with the sword, authorities said. After a lengthy struggle, and with assistance from a neighbor who was an emergency medical technician, Van Asselt disarmed Miles.

“This was potentially a very dangerous situation for everyone involved, but thanks to the professionalism and restraint demonstrated by Sgt. Van Asselt, everyone was able to walk away from this incident,” District Attorney Holley Carnright said. “He is to be commended.”